It’s a rainy day, and your whole afternoon is free. Your stomach is growling, and you’re suffering from extreme boredom with your friends. The perfect way to spend your lunch is at Garden Shabu/Hot Pot and Grill in Little Ferry, New Jersey!
Less than a twenty-minute drive on the highway is an amazing eatery for those especially craving hot soup and unlimited meat. Our snow day on Monday was the perfect way for me to spend my afternoon with my mom, where we jammed our stomachs way past their maximum capacities. This visit marked our sixth time at this delicious restaurant, and I am going to share with you all the more reasons my seventh is nearing the corner.
Firstly, for this business not to be threatened by the State of Emergency issued just the day before proves its dependability. You will never have to concern yourself with the possibility that your craving won’t be satisfied, because nothing seems to hinder the business of this restaurant.
Secondly, the biggest piece of advice I have for you is to not go on a Sunday afternoon. This eatery’s dependability may have proven a bit too much. Every church member within a fifteen-mile radius will not fail to spend their lunch here. Hot pot has a huge social aspect to it. When that’s built upon the worked-up appetites of the churchgoers after a two-hour-long sermon who are deciding on where to eat, you’re looking at a thirty-minute wait, minimum. Therefore, Sunday afternoons should be avoided.
The restaurant is very expansive and open, which is a huge component to comfort and cleanliness. The buffet lies smack in the middle of the restaurant, splitting it into two sides of seating. When my mom and I sat down, within seconds, a waiter asked us what broth flavor and how many of what meats we would like. Fortunately, we got to enjoy the weekday lunch special, which is about $31, of the all-you-can-eat meat, seafood, and buffet! The weekend price is about seven dollars higher. The Dashi broth is most likely your safest choice, especially if you’re a newcomer. We ordered six plates of tripe, six plates of fatty beef, and eight plates of nonfatty beef. Yes, the waiter widened his eyes as well, thinking the same thoughts as you. What can I say, we were hungry!
As soon as we placed our order, we made our way towards the buffet where we filled up a plate with fixings. Every leaf and vegetable that you can imagine will be found here. They have dumplings in every size, crab balls in every color and flavor, multiple types of mushrooms, and many forms of noodles. The large variety offers the chance to concoct the pot of your dreams.
The most important step that you must not disregard is the fabrication of your dipping sauce. I will lay out the instructions as clearly as I can so that you may visit them every time you visit this restaurant: one large scoop of cilantro, a scoop of scallions, a pinch of chili oil, three scoops of ponzu sauce, and four squirts of vinegar. I truly believe that this sauce is what carries me through my ten plates of meat. It’s that good.
As we returned to our table with our fixings, we found our meat waiting to be cooked with great patience. I grab a chunk of meat and throw it in the broth along with onions, mushrooms, bok choy, and mini dumplings. It is advised that you throw in your fixings bit by bit because your soup will take forever to boil if all is put in at once, and by the time you get to the last piece of lettuce, it will have lost its texture from the high heat.
After every vegetable and piece of meat had disappeared, (we don’t possess the intention of paying a 30% surcharge for leftovers) we made our way over to the desert station. They offer vanilla and matcha ice cream as well as bingsu, which is a refreshing shaved milk base that you decorate with toppings. A wide range of toppings is given such as chocolate chips, strawberries, pineapple, and red bean. The best part? Unlimited refills.
The Garden/Shabu Hot Pot and Grill is the perfect place to stuff your stomachs full and walk away capable of a winter’s hibernation. The high-quality meat, clean conditions, and a wide range of choices offer a great restaurant experience that you can enjoy with friends and family. This place possesses the ability to satisfy any craving from seafood to red meat to increasing your fiber intake with their huge variety of greens. Grab your pen, find a date (except for Sunday afternoons), and prepare yourself for an impending food coma.
